What is a VATRE or School Funding Referendum?
It is required by the state – that’s why it is called a Voter-Approval Tax Ratification Election. It allows local voters the opportunity to decide the tax rate and maintenance & operations (M&O) funds needed to maintain and/or expand academic, job training and safety programs in the district. Because our tax rate is above the rate set by the state, it requires us to hold an election.

What will be funded if voters approve the November 7 referendum?
With approval of the School Funding Referendum, voters will:
●      provide $3,600 stipends for teachers and staff during the 2023-2024 school year.
●      provide armed officers at every campus.
●      provide teacher salaries needed to keep and attract experienced educators now and in the future.
●      maintain small class sizes as we continue to grow.
●      sustain and expand programs, such as academic, fine art, athletic, extra and cocurricular, career and college, and community opportunities.

How quickly is Forney ISD growing?
Forney ISD continues to be one of the fastest growing school districts in Texas – and this trend is expected to continue for another decade. On average, the district is expected to grow at a rate of 1,500 new students per year for the next ten years. 

How will this referendum impact academics, fine arts and athletics?
To meet the demands of our students and teachers, the School Funding Referendum will provide the operational funds needed to continue and expand academic courses, dual credit offerings, fine arts programs, athletics, and leadership opportunities for students.

What is going to be the tax impact of the School Funding Referendum on Forney ISD taxpayers?
With voter approval, this School Funding Referendum will result in a tax rate that is 6.5¢ lower than last year, and 25¢ lower than 5 years ago. The average tax bill on properties that qualify for a homestead exemption will see a decrease of approximately $450 annually. This is made possible through legislation recently passed by our state government that changes the way our taxes are calculated.

What will be the impact on senior citizens in the district?
Homeowners 65 years of age and older will see no increase in their property taxes now, or in the future if they have filed for their homestead exemption.

Why isn’t the Texas Legislature handling the need for additional school funding?
While our local State Representative is working hard for our students and teachers, the legislature as a whole has not increased the basic allotment for students since 2019, but continues to increase the burden of unfunded mandates on public schools and local taxpayers.

If property evaluations have been increasing over the last few years, why is compensation not increasing for teachers and staff?
Our board has worked hard to increase compensation and pay for our staff each year with inflation costs, but the state has not increased the per student funding allotment since 2019.  School districts are funded primarily by local property taxes and state aid. However, rising property values do not equate to more money for schools. Instead, when property values increase, the State of Texas reduces the amount of money it sends the district on the Tier I portion of the tax rate. In other words – the state takes the additional property tax dollars that come from higher property values – local districts don’t keep those funds. And there is no adjustment in the state funding formulas for the current high inflation rate in our country.

I’ve heard of bond referendums but have other districts in Texas passed VATRE/School Funding Referendums?
More than 600 Texas school districts have passed VATREs – or School Funding Referendums – including Terrell, Kaufman, Mesquite, Sunnyvale, Royse City, Wylie, Richardson, and Community. 

Voters passed a bond referendum in 2022. Can’t these funds be used for salaries and personnel expenses?
No. Bond proceeds can only be used for facility construction and renovations, technology, school buses, equipment, and land purchases. Bond funds may not be used for employee compensation or day-to-day operations.

There are two buckets of money in school finance - Interest & Sinking (I&S) and Maintenance & Operations (M&O).  The I&S fund repays the debt the district incurs to build and renovate school facilities, similar to a mortgage. The I&S fund cannot be used for salaries or personnel.  The M&O fund is used for salaries and daily operational costs.  The revenue generated from the School Funding Referendum, if approved, will be used to pay salaries and daily operational costs.

Why are more funds needed for teacher and staff compensation?
We know we have some of the best and most dedicated teachers and support staff in Texas. The additional funds would be used to recruit new staff, make sure they are paid appropriately, and risk losing them to districts that pay higher salaries.

Should voters approve the referendum, does the district have policies in place to make sure our tax dollars are spent efficiently?
Yes, we will continue with our efficiency policies that have earned us the highest ranking for transparency by the state’s Financial Integrity Rating System and helped us achieve an “A” district accountability rating from the Texas Education Agency.

What happens if the School Funding Referendum fails?
Like we have always done when it comes to managing our district, we will look to our community to help us prioritize school funding. These sacrifices could include reducing teacher positions, hiring less experienced educators, increasing class sizes, cutting a portion of our bus service, or asking parents to pay more for extracurricular programs. Academic, fine arts and athletic programs also may be cut or downsized. We also may have to delay openings of new schools resulting in larger class sizes.

If the school funding referendum passes, the average homestead will pay $450 less on the property tax bill annually. If the school referendum doesn’t pass, the average homestead will still see the $450 reduction in your property tax bill and an additional $309 less per year, but cuts in services and programs will be required.

The district lowered the tax rate in previous years without an election. Why is an election necessary this year?
It is required by the state – that’s why it is called a Voter-Approval Tax Ratification Election. It allows local voters the opportunity to decide the tax rate and maintenance & operations (M&O) funds needed to maintain and/or expand academic, job training and safety programs in the district. Because our tax rate is above the rate set by the state, it requires us to hold an election.

Why is the ballot language so confusing?
The language included on the ballot is required by state law. The revenue increase listed in the ballot is shown as a negative number because we are comparing the taxes collected in the prior year to the taxes collected in the current year on the same properties that were taxed in both years.  The comparison does not include taxes collected on property for the first time in the current year (new property).  It also does not include properties that have tax ceilings (over 65 homestead exemptions).  Since the tax rate is going down and the homestead exemption is going up, we will be collecting less taxes on properties in existence in the prior year.   

How do I receive more information about the bond referendum? 
Submit your questions here and our team will reach out to you. We strive to be as transparent as possible and will do our best to thoroughly answer any questions you may have.